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Opposition walks out of Rajya Sabha on Ayodhya

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

A disgruntled opposition walked out of the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday after the calling attention motion on Ayodhya in protest against Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani's inability to react to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's reported announcement to construct a Ram temple at the disputed site before March 2002.

Suresh Pachouri of the Congress asked Advani to clarify, soon after the latter had replied to the calling attention motion, on the VHP's announcement about starting the construction.

When the home minister did not respond, the opposition staged a walkout.

In his reply to the motion, Advani said it was the central government's responsibility to ensure that the status quo was maintained in Ayodhya till the court gave its verdict in the prickly temple-mosque dispute.

He said he had condemned the October 17 incident this year in which VHP members had stormed the disputed site.

He contended that "if the minorities feel insecure, it is a bad thing" and endorsed the views of opposition members Mohammed Azam Khan and Shabana Azmi, who deplored a situation in which Muslims are forced to prove their loyalty to the country even after 54 years of independence just because of the misguided moves of a few.

Advani, however, asserted that the country had been divided in 1947 because Muslims felt that if it remained united, they would be forced to be the "slaves" of Hindus.

He also referred to the parliamentary standing committee for the security of Ayodhya and underscored that the government had two solutions for the dispute in mind -- either through the courts or by mutual agreement between Hindus and Muslims.

The house was earlier adjourned for 40 minutes when Narendra Mohan of the Bharatiya Janata Party accused Sarla Maheshwari of the Communist Party of India, Marxist, of advocating the cause of the Students Islamic Movement of India and the Taleban. He also claimed that the Communists had espoused the cause of the Chinese during the 1962 Sino-Indian war.

Agitated opposition members, particularly Maheshwari and her Marxist colleague Nilotpal Basu, protested vociferously to Adhik Shirodkar, who was in the chair, that Mohan's charges were provocative. But Shirodkar was unable to restore order and adjourned the House.

When the House resumed, Azmi (nominated) lamented that Muslims were again being "hauled over the coals" and communal elements in the BJP and the Sangh Parivar were fanning communal hatred in Ayodhya with an eye on the impending assembly election in Uttar Pradesh. She appealed to the members to help defuse communal tension.

Azam Khan (Samajwadi Party) said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Rajnath Singh must have been involved in the October 17 incident in Ayodhya because he was present in Faizabad at the time, just 7km away.

He said that if Advani wanted to be "another [Sardar] Patel", he should rise above petty political considerations. He also warned the home minister not to "create Kashmirs in every state".

Earlier, at the beginning of the discussion on the calling attention motion, Maheshwari pointed out that the blatantly communal inclinations of the Sangh Parivar had dangerous implications for the unity and integrity of the country. Now the government was trying to foist the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance on it, she added.

Narendra Mohan, however, contended that the entry of VHP activists into Ayodhya had not contravened any law and challenged the opposition members to prove their charges against the government.

EARLIER REPORTS:
Advani denies makeshift temple at Ayodhya was altered
VHP doubtful of solution to temple issue by March 12, 2002

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